The last 2 competitions that have been run on the Bit-tech website did not provide an opt out tick box or similar before the details were submitted. To quote the Data Protection registrar: You need to comply with this law for your competitions. Please comply in the future, I don't want to be making formal complaints to the ICO to force you to.
I agree with your sentiment about having an opt-out checkbox, but as per the Dennis privacy notice there are a pair of clear, simple ways to opt out.
Yeah dude, there is a simple way to opt out. If you don't like the policy then don't enter the competitions, don't come on here to threaten with formal complaints when you have no grounds to do so.
What bothers me is the spam that I started getting with the following format when I entered a competition from either here or pcpro.co.uk - either way they are both Dennis. Has anyone else received messages in the same format as this (note the style of return email address)? They definately started when I entered a competition based on either bit-tech or PC Pro - I realise it might not have been run by Dennis but rather a 'partner' one or something. I know that you don't get anything for nothing so expected the odd opt-out marketing email, but I'm pretty sure these emails fall very much into the spam category rather than expected marketing (not least the volume - the above was one days spam report).
The quoted section from the Data Protection registrar is confusing. "Should" implies that there's an option not to do the things stated. It's not as though the criteria "must" be met. The other thing that gets me is how does anyone know, unless they're using a different email address for each website they leave details on, what the source of the direct marketing mail is? Given the information in the privacy notice - I think I must never have received any direct marketing from Dennis Publishing or one of its advertising partners because I have never seen a straightforward way to opt out of their direct marketing, other than on the Privacy Notice.
I never win anything and entered everyone almost for the last two years. Going to stop now as I've also being getting these emails lately. Better chance winning the lottery anyway Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
You can opt out of dennis...but not it's partners untill they sent you something. By opting out from the partners after sending, you actually CONFIRM your email-adress which makes it more valuable. So yes, a tick-box on forehand is the way to go...but I cannot fathom it they're liable to have it (probably not though) Not participating is (alas) the only safe way
Or you could just set up a spamtrap-craptasticly-free Gmail account and use that for all competitions? I just check mine once a week or so. Saves on the hassle of getting unwanted crap mail. It auto-delivers all the mail in it, to my real Gmail adress and sorts it into a large folder.
After my recent influx of spam as a result of entering one of the competitions I won't be entering anymore.
We're looking into this issue. Obviously we're too busy writing awesome, witty content to manage the data handling and competitions, but we're chasing those who do. We suspect it's to do with their bitterness that they too aren't writing awesome, witty content. Thanks for bringing it to our awesome, witty attention.
